Tag Archives: CAPP

Energy, Politics

Fossil Fuel Lobbyists very active in 2025, report says

Fossil fuel interests increased their lobbying during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s tenure. According to Environmental Defence’s  2025 Fossil Fuel Playbook, iindustry lobbyists met with federal officials 986 times in 2025, despite a three-month lull during the election period.

Jennifer Lash, the Liberal candidate in North island-Powell River during the last election, responded, “There is no question that this Liberal government has signalled they are open to conversations with the fossil fuel sector and these numbers show that the companies are accepting the invitation. What really matters, however, is the outcome, particularly with the commitments in the MoU.  Canada must ensure the methane equivalency agreement and industrial carbon pricing regulations are rigorous and effective and I will be watching to see what happens in the coming weeks.”  

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Energy, Environment

The Big Oil Playbook: recent Environmental Defence publication

That charitable organisation Environmental Defence has recently published a 23 page report called Big Oil Playbook : Fossil Fuel Industry Exposed. The report is playfully illustrated, but quite serious in concept; its purpose is clearly laid out on the first page:

The goal of this report is to paint a clear picture of how oil and gas companies operate, how they generate support for the industry and leverage it against effective climate solutions. Some of their tactics, like greenwashing and lobbying, have been well-publicized. Yet others have been largely hidden from the public, like funding astroturf groups, supporting anti-renewable energy campaigns, and infiltrating educational institutions.

The report documents ten established tactics used by the fossil industry in its battle against climate activism and decarbonisation policy.  Currents interviewed one of its lead authors, Emilia Belliveau from Environmental Defence Canada, about this project.  The broadcast version of this story is in two episodes. In the first part, Emilia explains the ten standard tactics. In the second part we dig a bit deeper into the details: how these tactics work, and their effects on communities and political life.

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Energy, Politics

A Peek Into Big Oil’s Playbook with Environmental Defence

Environmental Defence just released a report showing that last year oil and gas company lobbyists were targeting the Conservative Party, in preference to the Canadian Government, by more than a 2 to 1 ratio. Cortes Currents interviewed Emilia Belliveau, lead author of ‘Big Oil’s Playbook, A Summary of Big Oil’s 2024 Federal Lobbying’ and asked Max Thaysen, from the Cortes Island Climate Action Network for his insights.  

Emilia Belliveau:  “Environmental Defence is a charity, so we are nonpartisan. What I can do is simply relay the facts, which are that the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party did not take any lobbyist meetings. The NDP took a very small number, four. Then you have most of the lobby meetings targeting the Federal Liberals and the Federal Conservatives. The Federal Liberals had 62 meetings with ministers and 29 meetings with backbencher MPs, and Conservative MPs took 216  lobby meetings.”

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Energy

Passing the buck at TMX pipeline hearings

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Now that TMX is complete, the question of who should bear the brunt of the project’s cost overruns is making the rounds on Parliament Hill.

A federal committee delved into this issue on Wednesday night, with some witnesses and MPs insisting the oil and gas sector should shoulder the burden because they are the ones profiting, while others argued the pipeline benefits all Canadians.

Oil industry executives called to testify at the Oct. 9 committee meeting on Trans Mountain’s massively over-budget pipeline expansion were met with a combative NDP leader.

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Energy

TMX in the crosshairs on MPs’ first day back in Ottawa

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Canadian MPs are back in the capital and kicked off day one by digging into the climate and financial impacts of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX).

Over five committee meetings in coming weeks, federal ministers, experts and interest groups will testify about TMX’s impact on Canada’s climate targets, how the cost to taxpayers soared, and government plans to sell TMX.

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